Love to Hate You (2023)

A delightful and refreshing surprise

I was really not planning on watching this since I'm usually not into rom coms or shows with Sex and the City-type vibes, but I checked it out on a friend's strong recommendation and it was such a delightful and refreshing surprise! I found myself laughing out loud a lot, the FL is so ridiculously kick-ass, the friendships between the FL and ML and their respective best friends are really wonderful, and the romance is surprisingly sweet given how it all began. I also love how the ML's respect for the FL stems from who she is as a person, with no judgment about her past, and how he stands by her despite the misguided moral high horse of public opinion. I also just came off watching the 2ML again in Flower of Evil (purely coincidental) so it's also quite fun to see Kim Jihoon in such a completely different role.

This is a really easy and fun binge. I only wished it was longer just so I could spend more time with these great characters.

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Anything boys can do - girls can do a hundred times better!

For all that we talk about 'strong female leads' , both in K-dramas and in Society, it's acceptable for women to be physically and mentally astute, express their emotions and be outspoken in their opinions; until that opinion is even the slightest bit promiscuous. Finally, we have an example of a woman who has had her fair share of 'one night stands' and would fit the male description of a 'player'. Yet - unlike the world - the drama does not deplore her behaviour or villanise her for doing something usually considered acceptable solely in the case of a man; rather, it points out the hypocrisy and presents us the blueprint of a modern woman who is not afraid or ashamed of her sexuality.

At first, Kang-ho seems like the anti-christ to this kind of personality. He is biased and prejudice towards women - but he is also hurt. Mi-rae, then - who gives as much significance to men's feelings as she does to their opinions - seems like a terrible match for him; yet somehow they are one of the most perfect pairings I have seen in a drama, with a chemistry that could only work in their (very niche) situation. It is no exaggeration to say that the sparks fly, and though the show itself is confined to just 10 episodes, we are given a perfect balance of buildup and payoff - so that when the romance comes, we are not taken aback by it, nor do we feel cheated or starved for amorous scenes. Admittedly, the end will have you wishing the drama was longer, but I actually think it's a perfect length, because a drawn-out plot wouldn't really have added anything but confusion (although I do feel the backstory of the two leads could have been fleshed out more, particularly with regards to their past relationships and their parents). I also would have enjoyed Mi-rae going to court a few times, though I suppose a proper legal battle may have been too far out for a drama of this kind.

The above is the reason, I rated the story so harshly - although I understood why the characters were the way that they were, the plot could feel episodic at times, and it left me wondering whether time spent on 'fun' scenes (particularly in the last episode) would not have been better spent expanding on something that had only been presented to us in summary or reminiscence.

However, the simplicity is mostly a credit. Often, Rom-com dramas feel that there is an intrinsic 'evil' and 'genericness' within their genre that they have to compensate for by adding dark backstories, serious illness, most recently a incredulously fashioned murder mystery (see 'crash course in romance'), when in reality, all it does is distract from the enjoyability of the show. The majority of the watchers aren't interesting in a half-baked sub-genre which has only been interwoven for the sake of being more than just a 'rom com'. They're watching the show deliberately for the romantic comedy, and a comprehensible sub-genre or side-plot is fine - such as the way LTHY tackles social norms, misogyny and 21st century dating culture - but at it's core, the viewers largely expect the drama to be as it's main genre describes: comedic and romantic.

Overall, I would say that this is the perfect Drama to watch this year. It's enjoyable, not too long, and by the end you don't feel as though there are any loose ends or unsatisfactory outcomes. LTHY is not perfect by any means, but it is a magnum opus of modern day korean rom-coms, and if I had to sum it up - think 'older, sassier, braver version of Business Proposal, which transforms cliche into cinematic'.

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fun, interesting watch

Let me just list the things I appreciated and liked.

1. The female lead was interesting. She is a feminist. What is interesting about her being a feminist is how we often hear about feminism in SK mostly being seen through the lens of radical feminism. I was waiting to see if they make her cross those lines into that territory. And while it felt like it was almost there in a few scenes, it didn't really go all the way past no return. So it was interesting to keep that in mind while watching the female lead onscreen.
2. The romance develops slowly and I was here for it! It wasn't insta love. The attraction progressed at its own pace which I found refreshing.
3. One of the main (or is it the main) points of the drama is only introduced halfway through the show. I think this gave the character development and plot structure a nice balance.

So, apart from these, there are still other things to like. While it's not a mind-blowing drama, it is one of the better Korean dramas that have come out in recent months. At least something was a bit different about this show? I really liked most of the characters. I am not sure if I have ever seen a hardcore feminist in any of these romcom Korean dramas? Anyone knows if there's been such a character?

Of course, there were still many cliches and tropes that we've all come to expect from dramas but oh well!

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Drama menarik yg sudah lama dinantikan

Awalnya ga expect banyak dari covernya. Tapi krna review bagus cobain deh.. dan ternyataaa.. wkwk.. jadi pengen nge-review buat pertama x. Krna helpful banget ginian ternyata.. gw sih dah lama ga jumpa nih drama menarik dari awal sampai akhir. Ga ngundang rasa ngantuk atau mau hold tengah nonton. Pas bangettt.. kecepatan dramanya, cast nya keren 대박 - 멋있어서! Ada rasa teringat hilariousnya waikiki, .. 짱 👍 tapi yg buat kagum tuh ceue nya.. widiw.. bagi yg suka karakter keren2 trus ada adegan romance nya juga.. trus ga bosenin boleh deh cobainn 😂

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Excellent rom-com

Really great rom-com. I'm not a feminist at all so I was a little hesitant after reading a couple reviews, but to me this wasn't a drama trying to push any agendas. It was an interesting story about a strong woman who had some biases against men due to poor parenting by her father and a bad relationship. The male lead also has issues with women for similar reasons. It made sense that they were able to unwind some of their negative perceptions by getting to know each other.

Great chemistry between the 1st couple. The second couple were cute imo, not sure why some others didn't feel it. I mean, not on the same level as Business Proposal's 2nd couple, but still sweet.

Definitely worth the watch.
Side note: When it hit me, you don't know how loud I yelled, "OMG it's hot Jerome from Vagabond!"

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Tackled some good themes

Really liked it! Strong female leads are it for me, fun that they tackled some social gendered issues and have to give it to the cast which rly was an excellent choice for the drama.

Storywise lighter, nothing spectacular but then again a thicker plot would have defeated the purpose of the show, which tried to keep things light-hearted even during the more dramatic parts.

I love it when kdramas are taking on stronger female characters and not your typical damsel in distress approach to things, without the drama turning ridiculous that is.

Overall a fresh feel good drama. Would recommend.

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Fluffy, not so serious, easy and short watch

I binged this show within 24 hours and found myself laughing out loud at some parts. I had just been binging a lot of heavier crime dramas, so this was a nice palette cleanser.

If you think about this show critically or in depth, then yes, you will see some flaws and possibly be annoyed. If you don't take the show seriously and just watch it with no expectations, it's an enjoyable and quick watch.

I did find myself almost dozing off in one of the later episodes and I'm not a super fan of the secondary romance, but those are my main complaints.

This is a nice show to sit back to, eat popcorn, and check your brain out.

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Watched it for the bad ass babe moments!

Wowzer where to start! This short series it’s only 10 episodes which is pure heaven if you want to binge watch it - which I did.

What hooked me was a saw a snippet where our FL is saving her client from gangsters/loan sharks now you’d think a lawyer would use her words and her smart brain 🧠 but NO!! Our FL likes to kick butt!! She manages to take down a number of loan sharks and saves the client. Total bad ass babe.

And it was for this alone that I have to watch the series. Which opening challenging the social view on what women shouldn’t and shouldn’t do. We see how women are treating unfairly and victimised whilst men are patted on the back for a job well done.

The story never got boring and we have a great development arch for both lead characters we see how other brings out the better in them.

It’s a quirky love story that everyone really must watch!!

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commercial success, American school & mature casting

I am a fan of mature casting, but this one didnt really suit the topic... I mean, you cannot cast mature people to act like teen sensation or something.
The director certainly has studied American school so he/she engaged a lot of ANTI-TROPES (which is, the new tropes) just to make it shocking and entertaining - which i dont mind at all - but i wonder if he/she brought anything original or personal to it. Still IT IS dynamic, modern, easy to watch...
The ML and FL and the SML and all the cast are certainly great actors, but i somehow doubt this drama was made with sincerity... i mean, it's more like a show to bring fame and cash flow.
I totally hate shows that blacken the media and depict it like blood-suckers that feed on high-life scandals... Isnt it more like a love-hate relationship where celebrities are made through publicity and gossip?
Nice drama all in all, as long as you dont mind that the puppets' ropes are showing.
SIDE NOTE: The ML reminds me big time of the player guy in The Glory, maybe the haircut and acting style? And the ML's friend, with his locks, looks so much like Filipino actor in Fan Girl...

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Great Drama

What a great drama. The lead female in this story is my kind of woman. Independent and strong and knows what she wants. The male lead is cute and shy and they make a wonderful couples. The chemistry is fantastic. The way their relationship develop is so great. When they get together, you wait each minute for the romance. Each character makes the story sincere and realistic. The second couple makes it sweet and you enjoy the drama even better. The story twist and turns and the ending which is surprising make you enjoy this drama. I love this drama and the well written story.

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Please I couldn’t watch it any faster if I tried

This was honestly so good. Great acting, plot and music. I even enjoyed the clothing and the action sequences. Loved the actors and actresses. I just kept saying just one more episode. Definitely would watch again. It’s also a very quick watch. Each episode ended on a slightly amazing cliffhanger. Except the ending which did its job well.

Really liked how it was realistic yet over the top. Showed us what it’s like to be a modern woman and a man who understands not every person needs a second chance. PLUS ITS SO FUNNY MY GOODNESS!

Do yourself a solid. Give it a go!

Sara Rojas MARCH 2 2023

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